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Dongga Dzong in Paro Bangpisa is a living monument that bears witness to Bhutan’s era of transformation. The building represents the brilliance of Bhutanese architecture. Functionally, it is a symbol of change and an expression of the times to come. The concept cleverly demonstrates how a glorious past meets an exciting future.
Throughout Bhutan, majestic dzongs outline the skyline or strategically dominate inhabited valleys. These monuments embody the myths of Bhutanese history and represent a civilisation with strong roots and a distinct identity. As landmarks, they are very Bhutanese – historically significant, mythologically iconic, and spiritually venerated.
These former monastic fortresses remain the foundation of Bhutan’s sovereignty, housing monks and government; they are solid pillars of spiritual and cultural heritage, governance and learning.
Today, the Dzong, an inspired work of His Majesty the King, has become a landmark that gives a new sense of time and space to Bhutan’s legend and reality. The traditional grandeur of this building contains a 21st century culture of education, innovation, skills and technology. Built on a ridge overlooking Paro, the Dzong is not only a witness to Bhutan’s history, but also a stage for Bhutan to move into a wider global space.
Pompisa
Panbisa village is a traditional community in the high Himalayan mountains, situated on a gently sloping terrain covered with coniferous trees and rhododendron bushes, with a panoramic view of the Himalayas in the background. Located at an altitude of 2500 to 3000 meters, the village is home to more than thirty hardy farmers who have gradually adapted to modern suburban life from a simple life of growing wheat, mustard, radish and turnips and raising livestock.
Pambisa is a rising plateau in the Paro Valley, situated at the intersection of four sanctuaries (holy places):
To the north is the dramatic Jomtralari, 7,326 metres (24,035 feet), from which the goddess Jomtralari watches over Bhutan’s livestock. Jomtralari is the source of glacial rivers and streams that flow into the vast plains of India.
At the top of the western ridge overlooking the valley is Urgyen Guruk Lhakhang, where the 15th-century terton (treasure seeker) Shela Mepa meditated.
To the east is Dongkla, the citadel of Dongkla’s staunch patron saint, Dongkla Sen. The site was blessed and sanctified by Terton Tshering Dorji, an incarnation of Pema Lingpa.
In the south, the ridge descends from the foothills of southern Bhutan to the plains of Gelephu, which today has become a new gateway to the world.
Pambisa is changing the pace of national development and empowering a new generation of Bhutanese people. It is transforming the lifestyle of traditional farmers through modernization and creating a 21st century Bhutanese society.
Over the past decade, the Pombisa Plateau has become a unique national landmark in Bhutan’s transformation. The new pinnacle is the Dongga Dzong, which houses the Druk Gyalpo Institute, seven lakshangs tended by monks, and a world-standard conference wing for international conferences and exchanges. Not far from the Dzong is the modern campus of Bhutan’s first law school, the Jigme Singye Wangchuck Law School.
Dongga Dzong
Dongga Dzong was named by His Majesty the King and is related to Dongga Village, located in the northeast of Lhuntse County, which was the seat of the Wangchuck Dynasty. Dongga Village was named because it resembles a white conch. The sound of the conch can be heard from all directions, implying that Buddhism spreads everywhere.
Bhutan has a king who turns dreams into reality with his own personal touch. Built under the king’s close supervision, Dongga Dzong blends futuristic interiors with an ancient exterior.
The building showcases traditional materials and skills. Huge slabs of stone from the Paro region and solid blocks of wood from Bhutan’s temperate valleys were pieced together by the ancient dexterity of the zuw (woodworkers). The all-Bhutanese team of builders and carpenters were amazed at their increased precision and efficiency after learning mechanized techniques, completing a task that would have otherwise taken a lifetime in only about seven years.
The four entrances to the Dzong are guarded by four patron saints, and the steps leading into the Dzong represent the passage of time. Visitors ascend the stone steps not dissimilar to those used by medieval monks, through the traditional arches and into the 21st century.
The design and layout of the interior of the dzong differs from traditional dzongs in its innovative use of creative spaces and modern facilities. The design reduces volume and expands space, and facilitates transportation using technology including six elevators. Four stone-paved courtyards represent a central administrative area, a school courtyard, a covered “Founder’s Hall,” and an elevated west courtyard. Interspersed within are temples, libraries and classrooms, a Vajrayana research and publishing department, and furnished spaces for events and gatherings.
Surrounding the Dzong are recreational parks, mixed gardens and lawns, while the 600-acre campus includes a traditional archery range and ancient Lhakhang ruins and farmhouses. High-end sports facilities include an indoor multi-purpose gymnasium, football pitch, swimming pool and athletics track, all tailor-made for global events.
The disabled-accessible campus is equipped with modern facilities, including wireless internet throughout the campus. The institution provides rammed-earth dormitories and housing for students and faculty. They eat in a hall that showcases glulam – a fast-growing wood technology, especially in the face of climate change.
educate
His Majesty explained that the idea of developing an indigenous education system stems from King Drukgyal Zhipa’s view that there is no better place to learn and receive an education than in your own country. What you learn from an outside system and a foreign education can only increase your knowledge of yourself and your country.
His Majesty the King has made empowering his people a priority and issued a Royal Decree for educational reform. His Majesty the King founded the Royal College at Pambisa to develop and apply new innovative educational concepts. This initiative has evolved into the development of the Bhutanese Bachelor’s Degree to ensure an indigenously developed world-class curriculum, thereby reforming the education system and making it relevant to today’s world.
The Bhutanese Baccalaureate is developed by the King’s College of Bhutan through its three centres: the Centre for Educational Research, the Centre for Teacher Development and the Royal College. The College reflects His Majesty the King’s recognition of the key role that education plays in enriching the lives of Bhutanese citizens, developing generations of leaders and narrowing social and economic gaps to build a just and harmonious society.
The convention center has hosted national and international conferences and is scheduled to host a large-scale Bhutan Innovation Forum in the first week of October.
in conclusion
The Pambisa phenomenon is a royal vision that blends an ancient past with an exciting future. Bhutan’s spiritual and architectural traditions are important elements of Bhutan’s unique identity, and this tradition is embodied in the magnificent Dzong, whose design and construction reflect the changing times. Traditionally trained to attain enlightenment through traditional monastic education, it has now become the birthplace of Bhutanese baccalaureate and international discourse. These progressive trends converge in the process of nation-building in a changing world.
This is Bhutan’s transformation – the royal heritage of the future.
Contributors
Dashao Jinli Dorje
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